Rainy days don't have to be boring

RAINY DAYS DON'T HAVE TO BE BORING

When another wet spring day rolls around, sometimes the usual walk, outdoor play or backyard adventure just isn't going to happen.

That's something we know well at Pet Refuge.

The pets staying with us are temporarily away from their families while they escape family violence and find safety. While they're in our care, we want their days to be filled with positive experiences, opportunities to play and plenty of things to keep their brains busy — even when Auckland's spring weather keeps everyone inside.

We're sharing some of the simple indoor enrichment our shelter team uses with pets at Pet Refuge, and how you can recreate it with your own furry family members at home.

The best part? You probably already have most of what you need.

WHAT A RAINY DAY LOOKS LIKE AT PET REFUGE

Enrichment is part of everyday care at Pet Refuge.

Pets can stay with us for weeks or months while their families work towards long-term safety, so giving them opportunities to sniff, search, play, investigate and problem-solve helps keep their days interesting and provides positive outlets for their energy.

When wet spring weather limits some of our usual outdoor activities, our shelter team gets creative indoors instead.

Old towels become puzzles. Cardboard boxes become things to investigate. Biscuits get hidden around a room. Toys appear somewhere unexpected.

And each activity is chosen with the individual pet in mind.

TURN AN OLD TOWEL INTO A PUZZLE

This is one of the simplest activities we use at Pet Refuge.

Scatter some of your pet's usual biscuits or treats across an old towel, then loosely roll or fold it. They'll need to sniff, nudge and use their paws to work out how to reach their reward.

At home, start with an easy, loose roll. Once your pet understands the game, try folding it differently to add a little more challenge.

Always supervise, particularly if your pet likes to chew or swallow fabric.

GIVE YOUR RECYCLING A SECOND JOB

As pet people, we know the box can occasionally be more exciting than whatever came inside it.

At the shelter, cardboard boxes and other safe household items can become puzzles and opportunities to investigate.

Try filling a shallow box with loosely scrunched paper and hiding some of your pet's usual biscuits amongst it. For a pet who's less interested in food, hide a favourite toy instead.

Clean empty bottles can also become rolling puzzles with biscuits inside, provided they're appropriate for your pet and closely supervised.

Remove lids, rings, tape, staples and loose pieces, and take homemade enrichment away if it becomes damaged.

PLAY 'FIND IT'

A rainy-day brain game doesn't have to involve making anything.

Hide a favourite toy or a few pieces of your pet's usual food somewhere in the room and encourage them to find it.

It's a game we use at Pet Refuge to get pets moving, sniffing and thinking even when their usual outdoor activities are limited.

Start somewhere obvious, then make your hiding spots gradually trickier once they've worked out what's happening.

BRING A LITTLE OF THE OUTDOORS IN

If the rain is keeping everyone inside, bring something interesting inside instead.

At Pet Refuge, safe natural items can introduce new smells and textures for pets to investigate.

At home, you could create a supervised exploration box using pet-safe natural items from outside.

Just make sure anything you bring indoors is non-toxic and free from pesticides, fertilisers, mould, sharp pieces or anything small enough to swallow.

RAINY DAYS ARE FOR CATS TOO

For indoor cats, a rainy day might not change their routine quite as dramatically — but enrichment is still an important part of keeping their world interesting.

At Pet Refuge, our cats get opportunities to investigate, forage, chase and problem-solve too.

Cardboard boxes make great places to explore. Hide a favourite toy somewhere unexpected, rotate toys so old favourites feel new again, or create opportunities to climb and observe from different safe spots.

Our shelter team also creates a supervised fishing-style game using a shallow bowl of water with clean bottle caps floating on top and cat treats placed on them.

If recreating an activity like this at home, remember that small objects can pose a swallowing or choking risk, so close supervision is essential and everything should be removed afterwards.

SOMETIMES SIMPLE IS BEST

You don't need perfect weather — or expensive toys — to give your pet an enriching day.

We know that helping pets live happy, healthy lives is made up of all the everyday things we do for them too: play, mental stimulation, positive experiences and time spent together.

For the pets staying at Pet Refuge, those little experiences are an important part of the individual care they receive while they're away from their families.

And for furry family members at home, a rainy spring day can be an opportunity to try something different together.

Follow your pet's interests, choose activities that suit their age, size, mobility and confidence, and supervise anything they could chew or swallow.

Then take another look around the house.

An old towel, a cardboard box and ten minutes with their favourite person might be all you need to turn a rainy day around.